Sweet Incense
by SunMoonNeko
Summary: He knew she wasn't human but his nose couldn't tell what she was under all the false scents. She expected him to smell as he showed himself to the world, cold and bitter but found the seductive scent of incense instead. A short story about one powerful inu daiyoukai and unlabeled being known as Kagome.


_His scent wasn't something she expected._

As a human scent wasn't a sense she actively used, not in the way other animals and youkai did. Even a youkai with the weakest sense of smell was stronger than the strongest of humans. While she didn't think her sense of smell to be beyond human, she knew it wasn't by any means weak. She could comfortably scent and identify herbs and the like of nature, strong human odors such as that of sweat and rot and disease rapid in the flesh. It was partly why she was so concerned with keeping clean; why she had so often done her best to encourage those around her to take up the daily practice of washing.

When Inuyasha held her close upon his back his scent was easy to discern even between the gusts of wind, _for he smelt like a perfect summer day, warm grass and brisk bitter wind, the scent of a freshly cut oak tree, with hints of citrus spices burning in the embers of a fire._ The smell was soothing even while hinting at a more volatile nature. Kagome often thought at first that he needed to bathe more and that was why she could smell him so strongly, even sitting him several times over a body of water until she understood that the strength of his scent was too a part of him. It was a smell she knew meant safety and strength of will, meant everything was going to be okay. He was her watch dog, her protector in this strange world, a friend that stood loyal like no other.

Soon she became familiar with another scent, for the young kitsune often rode on her shoulder next to her nose and slept beside her on her pillow at night. Like Inuyasha, Shippo had a strong smell that came to mind with hints of his nature. Though his scent was touched with a smell that could only be identified as youth, often she caught herself smiling after each inhale of his foxy nature, _for her young fox smelled of the mischievous of sparklers, the dewy scent of bamboo and tang of a scent she knew came from a firework's fading smoke, with hints of a sweet plum freshly bitten into, and with sparks of a magnetic storm yet to come burrowed in it._ She so wanted to protect this scent, wanted to keep it close for it was precious and never failed to make her grin. Kagome knew the smell of his youth would fade away, but for now she enjoyed the way he annoyed Inuyasha, the way he dropped into her lap after exhausting hours of practicing his foxfire and other magic, the scent of firework smoke strong and the spark a bit more distinct as she tucked him in beside her. He was so young and yet so strong in nature, bending but never breaking to the wills of Fate and gave her strength to push on. She was inspired by him, for they both held a foot in childish youth and adult responsibility; Kagome did her best to give what was left of his childhood while he never let her forget her it was okay to laugh.

Miroku was human as she was, but she often found he did not smell of the typical scents that most humans of his era did. While at times he couldn't avoid the salty tang of sweat to him it was more noticeable that his bathing habits much like hers allowing his natural smell to dominate. Miroku who often got too close for priesthood while they meditated together or walked side by side, _he scented of a ginkyo tree's will to live, the distinct smell of wet ink and the damp earth smell of a bonsai nursery she visited with her grandfather, with the simple but purifying scent of gari that lingered in her mouth._ While the man was perverse, it was because of his dual nature that he was perhaps the best confidant she had. Miroku wasn't bound by either sin or purity and simply was in synch with the nature of the soul. He was marked for death and yet he never denied himself the pleasures of living vibrantly, of knowing all the knowledge the world had to offer to him while remaining humbled by his experiences. He was her guide of both the spiritual and earthly; the give and take of the world and his scent embodied these elements, creating a rush of peace at each inhale.

Sango had never been a typical woman of the time, not with her strong warrior body and neko youkai companion Kirara. Both were distinctive females of their own nature, powerful and strong and yet they yielded to the softer side of femininity in their own way. Kirara typically stayed in her first form, small and sweet looking, she could be mistaken for any other cat at first glance until her fire transformed her into the fierce warrior. Kagome knew her fur to always be silk smooth, _her fur smelled always of the rich scent of herb garden, the individual scents blended together that spoke of health and virility, the mild spice of chili pepper fire, the smell of smoke wood in the distance, with the shiratamanoki flower that grew at the base of a volcano woven heatedly between it all._ Yes, Kirara spoke of fire that reached for the skies she could fly through, her inner fire fierce and alluring. She was the beacon that roared in battle, which of the group had seen the most hellfire and embodied it against her foes. She could be deceptively sweet in her playfulness before her spirit erupted; indomitable.

This was perhaps the characteristic that she shared most with Sango. Sango, whose hand was quick to deliver discipline to the perverse and unjust, whose eyes and mouth were equally quick to soften into a sweet smile for the innocent. She had experienced the most lost, the tragic pulling of death and suffering that only those who once had it all and lost it know. Yet she still stood strong, building herself strong with each stone of despair placed at her feet, _for she smelled of the storming ocean yet to come, that spark of wood catching fire from a struck match, but was balanced with the tang of a kinkan kumquat, and the sweet tea like scent of matatabi._ Yes these two were equal companions of the wily force of feminist power, strong and natural. Sango sang to her heart, emboldened her power as a fellow woman who was capable of taking on Mother Nature, of being Mother Nature's divining force. Together with Kirara they rang of unyielding hope against all odds, and helped shape her into a woman worthy of taking on the world; a woman who would not break for her enemies but tear them down till they submitted.

These were the scents she had come to know best, the people who she knew and who knew her. The world could rob her of her eyesight, of touch and taste and still she would know them easily. They were home, protection, companion, love and life. It was through their scents that her memory was strongest.

Each of themselves was reflected in their scents, their hardships and successes shaped not just who they were but their nature, their scent. Perhaps, armed with this knowledge, that was why she was so surprised by _his_ scent. For all outward appearances he was nothing but the cold and calm daiyoukai. He commanded power, demanded submission and kept a thick barrier between his inner self and the rest of the world. He rarely spoke with the rest of the group even though they were allies, and sometimes would even disappear from the group when their chatter became too much for him. He didn't wonder far, she knew from the grumblings of Inuyasha, that he simply put some distance between the pack and himself, to dull the constant noise he wasn't use too. She expected his scent to be as he appeared, _the cold chill of a winter breeze that rattled the bones, the bite of a pine forest for miles on end, Umeboshi that curled acidic like smoke, the sting of heavy salted air slapping against ancient stones._ Yes she expected his scent to reflect all of these things for he was a force of nature that was entirely devoted to the path of conquest and power. The path of stoicism, a being untouched by time and suffering and light and love and warmth; yes she had many expectations. Each time in the past when she was near him his scent had been obscured either by the flowery acid of his poison, the tainted fumes of Naraku or some other enemy. When they had become allies they kept a respectful distance from each other, and Kagome thought no more on the subject.

The first time she caught his scent, she thought she had dreamed it. She had been burning with fever, exhausted and swimming between the land of the conscious and the sleeping. Being the quickest of their group, Sesshoumaru had returned her to the well, a four days journal on foot for their pack that was condensed into a couple of hours in his arms. She remembered only bits of traveling, being gentle dropped into the well and moving between times before waking in her bed. _She remembered the dominating scent of freshly struck earth by lightning, and the light scent of shouga ginger root that warmed the blood._ The scent haunted her for the next few days as she rested and allowed her mother to fuss over her; only requesting a cup of hot ginger tea to sooth her cold away.

After that her nose would catch only fleeting breaths of him on the wind. They spoke more often, exchanging words of intellect about her studies and the workings of both their worlds. Yet she was never close enough to catch more than what she remembered, lightning earth and soothing ginger. She knew she'd have to get closer to smell the subtle undertones, but firmly refused to embarrass them both by over stepping out of curiosity. Sesshoumaru wasn't a male that would welcome such advances, especially from a woman like her. So she contented herself with what she could, walking next to him and drawing in the scent of his power and being soothed by the subtle warmth that she had never expected from him as they exchanged words and companionable silence.

It wasn't until the defeat of Naraku that she once again found herself close enough to scent him. He held her waist with one arm around her; the other held his new sword at the ready as they floated above the battle grounds waiting for the dust to settle. She feared it would be her only chance, for she did not know if the jewel would allows her to remain and if so, if she'd get another chance regardless. Accepting the overwhelming desire to be selfish just this once, she leaned against him, turning her face against his shoulder to breathe deeply from the collar of his garment. _Lightning struck earth and soothing ginger root,_ she remembered, but layered beneath that, _the rich scent of dark chocolate with hints of zesty Mikan orange flavored her palette, while the heady incense of Kyara Aloeswood around her, inside her, a seductively calling blooms._ Hadn't she thought him to be cold? Distant and untouchable, wholly unattainable by the world; where was the salty acidic taste of his poison? The chilling whip of wind and pine; wasn't that his personality?

Instead she was greeted with undeniable power yes, but there also was the spicy warmth of his confidence and knowledge, the smooth and rich tones that offered comfort but also a hidden playfulness, he scented of uniqueness, being one with the world and yet divinely individual from all else while luring her into his embrace, to submit herself to him. His scent made her ache, had her wanting to relax more into his side, to trust he'd protect her yes, but also that he'd let her stand on her own in this battle. His scent hinted at the male that was behind the mask of ice, whose pride was strong yes, but whose heart was even stronger. If you were his, there was no leaving for you would be consumed by him as much as he would be consumed by you. The intensity of his scent made her close her eyes and reflect that indeed it suited him well for Sesshoumaru's focus was so absolute, wherever he chose to place it.

Then the moment was over. They were on the ground again, and he was stepping away from her as her friends came rushing towards them, shouting in joy. They had won.

She was caught up in the celebration, embracing her friends, tears of joy and little hiccups between smiles as they laughed in disbelief. Only after they had surveyed what remained of the battle ground did Kagome realize the daiyoukai was gone. She couldn't accept why she cried then.

_ why yes I did write something and I am posting. I have to admit that Kagome/Sesshoumaru is probably my first anime OTP. I still read tons of fanfiction on them and while reading a subtle line inspired this piece. I have written about 11 pages and decided to divide it up so that I can still work on it while getting the majority of my idea out there. The second part has a potential of being rated M, so I'll mark this piece as such, even if part one isn't.

describe scents:

~cut wood tends to have a distinct but subtle smell

~burning citrus spices leaves a bitter sweet smell and taste

~the smell of sparklers just makes me think of mischievous children personally

~I can't really comment on the smell of bamboo itself but we all know what I mean when I say the scent of dew

~Firework smoke is a no brainer, and reminds me of happy times

~plums actually have a fairly distinct smell to me, usually sweet but not always

~if you've ever stood outside when a magnetic storm is about to hit, and you breath in that scent before the rain hits, you know what I'm talking about

~Ginkyo trees are one of the few things that survived the bombings of Japan, are considered living fossils and produce 'silver apricot' fruit

~wet ink speaks for itself

~If you've ever been in a damp soil nursery you know what I'm talking about

~gari is a commonly known for its role in accompanying sushi, this is the thinly sliced root ginger which is pickled in vinegar and naturally turns red if it is fresh when it is pickled; Gari is used as a palette refresher between pieces of sushi but its original role in accompanying sushi was the result of its use as an antibacterial agent thus purifying

~I've found that a well stocked herb garden has a distinct scent that is hard to individualize unless one smells a specific plant

~chili peppers, need I say more

~we all know what the scent of smoke on the wind is, it doesn't matter what is burning

~Shiratamanoki wintergreen flower, also known as 'tree of white balls' is a flower that grows on the slopes of the Tarumae volcano in Hokkaido, Japan

~ 'storming ocean yet to come' is more of a typhoon references then anything

~ When you strike a matchstick there is a brief spicy scent

~Kinkan Kumquat is orange like fruit with sweet skin and sour flesh; the evergreen bush blooms fragrant white flowers

~Matatabi is also known as the 'silver vine' plant and is a type of catnip that smells like sweet tea to humans

~pine forests have such distinct smells that I've always thought were rather 'cold' smelling

~Umeboshi is another pickled item used with sushi like gari; its pickled plum that has a piercingly sour and salty taste; samurai would use it to counter fatigue on the battlefield and its acidity is known for corroding aluminum items

~Never been around lightning struck earth but I'm going to assume it leave a distinct mark to the senses

~Shouga is a "ginger root that is ground in Japanese cuisine and mixed with soya to marinate pork prior to sautéing it, as the flavours of pork and ginger complement one another well. It is also served on top of a pyramid of _daikon_ (Japanese white radish) to put in the tempura dipping sauce. Shouga is also used in _okayu_ (rice porridge) which is eaten particularly in the winter due to its warming properties, and drunk in an infusion with honey as a medicine to alleviate high body temperatures." I felt that the description went well with not only who Sesshoumaru is but what he is

~If you've never had a Terry's Chocolate Orange then you are missing out my friend! By far my favorite kind of chocolate, though I personally prefer milk chocolate, dark chocolate suits our male lead

~Kyara Aloeswood is the most precious, rare incense on Earth. Since ancient times it has been so difficult to procure, and there is so much demand for its sophisticated fragrance, that often Aloeswood has been traded on an equal level with gold. Highest grades are known as Jinkoh & Kyara in Japan; Lord Buddha was to have said that the fragrance of Aloeswood is the Scent of Nirvana. Since ancient times, Aloeswood has been gathered from the dense rainforests and jungles of Southeast Asia. Certain trees fall in the forest and after many centuries of being covered up by the sediment of the jungle solidify into an unequalled fragrant resin. Aloeswood incense was popularized again, in 800 A.D., in the Imperial Court of Japan. Samurai Warriors scented their armor with its smoke, for luck, before going into battle. The premium incense is very expensive, but with an unforgettable scent to it


End file.
